
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham,
OBE (born
2 May 1975) is an
English professional football (soccer) midfielder who is the
captain of
Major League Soccer's
Los Angeles Galaxy.
[3] He is also currently a member of the
England national team.
He was chosen runner-up for
FIFA World Player of the Year twice, and as recently as 2004 was the world's highest-paid footballer.
[4] He was
Google's most searched of all sports topics in both 2003 and 2004.
[5] Such global recognition has made him an elite advertising brand and a top fashion icon.
[6][7]Beckham was
captain of England from
15 November 2000 to
2 July 2006. He made 58 appearances as captain, and ended his tenure in that role after the
2006 FIFA World Cup finals. He continued to make contributions for the England national team in 2007 competitions.
[8]Beckham's career began when he signed a professional contract with
Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17. During his time there, United won the
Premiership title six times, the
FA Cup twice, and the
UEFA Champions League in 1999. He left Manchester United to sign for
Real Madrid in 2003, where he remained for four seasons.
In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid and sign a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
[9] He played his final match with Real on
17 June, after which the team was awarded the 2006–07
La Liga championship.
Beckham's new contract with the Galaxy, effective
1 July 2007, gives him the highest salary of any MLS player in history. He debuted for the team on
21 July in a friendly versus
Chelsea FC at the
Home Depot Center[10], and on
15 August, he had his first start with the team, scoring his first goal and first assist in the
2007 SuperLiga semi-final. His first league start then came on
18 August, where he recorded two more assists against the
New York Red Bulls in front of a record crowd at
Giants Stadium.
[11]
Personal information
Full name David Robert Joseph Beckham
Date of birth
2 May 1975 (1975-05-02) (age 32)
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
[2] Senior clubs
year
2007 Angeles Galaxy
National team 1994–2007